Hi. We are a design/style LA based company specializing in mixing eclectic styles on moderate budgets. Also we have a strange amount of fun blogging about all our design and style adventures. Right now I’m happy to say that I’m Target’s home spokesperson, bringing accessible/stylish design to the masses.

My Little Secret That I Am Sharing With You...

Shopping Vintage with Everything But The House

As you know I like me some antiques. I’ve often said that a room lacks ‘soul’ unless there is something vintage or antique in it and I will stand by that until the day I become an antique myself. As much as I love heading out for the day, searching for new and fun antique spots throughout the city, my true love is online shopping after the kids have gone down, with a glass of wine in hand (DANGEROUS). My newest addiction for that serotonin high that is shopping is – an online estate site. You shop, watch, favorite, bid and pickup or pay for shipping. It’s faster and cheaper than other online auction places like Ebay but with more competition (and therefore adrenaline).

I’ve bought/WON! a lot from their site (some of which you are seeing in these pictures, and why you may ask? Because you can score amazing and unique items there, whilst sitting on your sofa watching Nate Berkus and Jeremiah’s Brent’s new show on TLC. It’s pretty much my fantasy/perfect night. So, when they reached out about working together to pull together some of my favorite items that are currently up for auction on a dedicated page I of course said, “Yes, Please”, which you can now shop .

So for this post I thought I’d share what I’m looking for now and always. There are many things I love always, and a few things that are emotional splurges, so let’s get into it.

First up – primitive/shaker furniture. These are the antiques that are simple and functional but old AF (which means they are full of character and style).

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1. : The amount of beautiful accent chairs (that are not from sets) that I own might be becoming an issue, but it is hard to pass up a beautifully designed and made chair. I could definitely get into grabbing this one for its unique style and details.

2. : I just recently brought home a painted sideboard from Round Top but this one is tugging at my heartstrings what with it’s perfectly patina-ed green paint and porcelain knobs.

3. : It’s unique, functional, and could be used as a side table, a nightstand or anywhere else that you need some extra storage and a surface to style.

4. : This piece is very unique and would be so beautiful in a guest bedroom as a small little writing desk.

5. : Give me pine, brass casters, and some unique detailing and I am a happy gal. I love this piece and wish I had a wall to put it on as it would be such a great addition to any room.

6. : It’s a little bit modern, a little bit antique but would be the perfect chair to add to your desk, not to mention it swivels.

7. : Simple, classic, and functional. This guy will never go out of style.

8. : There is nothing quite like a vintage club chair with worn leather and the perfect amount of age and distressing. Scoop this one up in the auction before Brady does, as I know he is looking for some new ones and this chair’s mate is also up for auction.

9. : It is hard to tell if this is authentically new or old, but I love the blue color on it so that makes it a winner for me.

10. : Thonet chairs will always be a good dining room chair choice. I love that they are all a slightly different wood tone. Throw them around a tulip table and you are set.

11. : This sweet little table is simple and traditional but those gorgeous curved legs give it the perfect amount of character.

12. : These guys are old, and need some work but I am very into a collected dining room chairs moment and these guys would work perfectly for that.

13. : Once again I want another pine sideboard that I don’t have ANY room for. This piece is so beautiful, someone please buy it, style it, and send me lots of pictures so I can vicariously mother it from afar.

14. : Not sure if this would be safe to throw the kids in, but it is such a special piece that it would be so beautiful in a kids room, or in a dining room. That is if you can get your kids to sit long enough through “snack time” without something to buckle them in.

15. : I love the slender legs and the tall scale of this guy. Would be perfect for a small space.

16. : Rattan and Ladderback chairs will always be classic, so you can’t go wrong with this set.

17. : I am SO tempted to buy this for Charlie’s room to house all of his “toy tools” we have a set of soft plastic ones that he loves to play with and this would be so much fun to put them all in so that he feels very official.

18. : If having a “writing desk” doesn’t make you feel fancy then I don’t know what will. I can just imagine this in my “parlor” as I handwrite love notes to Brian and smell my freshly picked roses from the garden that I’ve styled on top of the desk. A girl can dream.

Next up … The random special pieces that are full of conversation and would be the perfect addition to any space. I think everyone needs a piece that we can call a “curiosity”.

1. : This is so fun and unique. I had a vintage globe collection in Charlie’s old room and I can only imagine how fun it would be to have story time with this book and moon globe.

2. : “I have too many antique statement rugs” said no one ever. I love the muted tones in this one, and the blue and red combo mixed with the pattern are alway always a good combo for hiding dirt and stains.

3. : My friend Scott used to have a collection of canes in his entryway and I always loved seeing it. Put these in a big basket or container and you instantly have a statement piece when you walk. And besides if your hip starts hurting you’ll have plenty to choose from when the time comes.

4. : I love the red jewel tone and the font on this guy. Put it on a tray with a some glasses, a few bottles of alcohol and you have an instant bar.

5. : I would love to buy all of these, float frame them and then hang them on a wall somewhere. You could also throw them into a glass dome or box to display them, and whenever you need to channel your inner romantic, you can rummage through them and read through their perfect penmanship.

6. : It might not be for everyone but this could be so fun in the right house. If red isn’t your style then have it powder coated in white or black. (Iced Tea and gossip not included)

7. : These guys would be great for just about anything – grocery shopping, hanging on a wall for magazines/mail, a kids room for toy storage, a picture perfect picnic.

8. : Fill it up with something fun or leave it empty and use it as a side table. Either way it is a fun piece to add some eclectic vibes to your space.

9. : I want this for our kitchen. Would be so pretty displayed next to our stove with our decanted oils and cookbooks.

10. : Get this for your bookshelf, the dude in your life, or for yourself if you can’t seem to make it out of the house on time. I love it’s simple shape and font.

11. : Brass animals are good, brass animals that also double as piggy banks that are in fact a piggy are even better. This would be so fun in a kids room or on your dresser to throw your spare change into.

12. : I am having a slight love affair with vintage maps currently. I just bought one of Los Angeles that I am getting framed and might hang in Charlie’s room, but if Paris is your jam then you should snag this beauty up.

13. : Totally useless unless you call yourself old fashioned and still keep time with a pocket watch, but it is so beautiful and makes a fun addition to your jewelry tray or box. I have a few of these that I have put onto long gold chains and turned them into necklaces.

14. : This guy is too cute, and would be so fun as your doorstop/guard dog.

15. : This is speaking to Commonwealth Emily’s heart what with it’s pink, red, and blue combo. I love it so much and it would be so pretty in a kitchen or entryway to add a pop of color.

As much as I love these antiques, I always need something that is a little more modern and simple to curb my granny tendencies from going too old world.

1. : Simple, modern and a great looking tallboy dresser for your bedroom.

2. : I am still on the fence as to whether bar carts are having a moment or not, but I love this brass and glass beauty.

3. : This brass inlaid beauty would be so good in your living room, entry or dining area if you have the space for it.

4. : If I had an office at home, with plenty of room for a large desk like this then I would be very into adding this to the growing collection of Mid Century pieces in our new house.

5. : For all those impromptu parties where one needs a few different sizes of cheeseboards and knives. The boards are an interesting enough shape that when they aren’t in use they could be displayed along your backsplash in a collection with a few other cutting boards.

6. : These guys look solid and if you had a big open room they would be so pretty on either side of the bed.

7. : Same with the above but on the other side of the room, although I wouldn’t put the nightstands and the dresser in the same room as each of the pieces would loose a bit of their uniqueness and charm.

8. : I am very into mixing modern and mid-century art into our english cottage. It helps to modernize the space a bit and bring some color in and I love this simple but graphic piece.

9. : I was always a fan of burl wood in our old home, and even had two nightstand in our guest room with a gloss burl wood finish. This is such a good shape and size and would be great as a side table to a stately sofa

10. : I am pretty sure that it is currently just a piece of fabric but if you were to frame this in a simple modern float frame you instantly have a large piece of graphic art for any room.

11. : The parsons shape, burl inlay, make this a classic piece.

12. : Rattan and bar carts were meant for each other. This combination is giving me just the right amount of golden girls without it feeling too retro and tacky.

Rather than critiquing every single piece of art and telling you why I love it (art is very subjective after all). I can just tell you that I love all of these pieces and would gladly hang any of them in my house. I am very into antique seascapes, landscapes and drawings right now and am always looking to add to my collection so a few of these would be great to mix in with what I already have. More than anything else I crave original art (especially for my new place), because there tends to be less floor space than wall space, which means there is always room to add to my growing collection. Here are some of my favorites.

Every day there is a new sale, all over the country. I’ve bought from the middle of the country from a sale and the shipping isn’t cheap, but it’s often cheaper than buying in LA and certainly way less daytime shopping time, which works for me with a busy schedule and two growing kids.

If you know anyone who wants to liquidate it all and have an estate sale I HIGHLY recommend this company instead of doing it yourself. They come to your house, let you know what pieces they want to sell, photograph them, catalog them, and then reimburse you once it all sells. They really couldn’t make it easier if you want to clean house.

Meanwhile for all you late night shoppers, welcome to your new addiction. Hopefully I’m not ruining my chances of getting the best stuff at a score by blogging about it, but my hope is that more estates will sign up with them and it can be a win, win for everyone.

Happy shopping, you shopping addicts 😉 Be sure to check out all of my favorites that are currently up for auction , and if you get outbid for them then I am giving you a sincere apology right now as it may have been me that outbid you.

I have purchased quite a few things from EBTH and love every single one of those purchases! They are sold as is, so it’s important to wrap your mind around that, and there’s no option to ask the seller a question, so buyer beware on this point.
I bought a pair of Arthur Umanoff swivel bar stools for a song (then paid a pretty penny in shipping, however still SO worth it) but they were obviously from a smoker’s household. Now, I don’t care because I disassembled what I could, scrubbed them within an inch of their life, and deodorized them, but if that’s not something that you may be willing to do, just keep that in mind.

The above said, I want to give MAJOR props to their customer service team as I once had a nightmare experience in receiving a pair of chairs I won. Like it took months for them to be shipped, the shippers were unresponsive, and ultimately the shippers (a 3rd party service utilized by EBTH at the time) claimed that their truck had been broken into and my chairs stolen a full 3 months after I purchased them! I reached out to EBTH customer service and passed along the email thread with the shippers and they responded IMMEDIATELY. I was SO impressed. They apologized profusely, gave me an immediate full refund for the chairs/shipping, AND gave me a $100 credit for future purchase so they wouldn’t lose me as a customer. THIS is the way to handle customer service issues. Bravo to them. I still shop with them because of this, and recommend EBTH to anyone who will listen.

Perusing their site is so fun but I wish there was a setting where I could be notified when a local sale is starting (since shipping costs are so high would love to be notified when nearby local sales are starting where pickup is an option). Would love if you could give them that feedback!

Right now I can search for local auctions but I often forget to return when I see that a fun looking local one is starting soon.

I love so many pieces you found — I just wished I had someone in Ohio that could schlep the pieces to me in California! I hope they start doing sales in CA! I purchased a painting from EBTH 10 days ago and haven’t heard anything / it hasn’t shipped but I am anxiously waiting and excited for it! So impatient! xx

I live in CA and have bought quite a few items from them locally through different sales. They have always been so easy to work with. You can always check the sales local to where you are. Can’t wait to shop some of the items Emily picked out.

I used to adore EBTH and bought several items from them, but their business model has changed over the last few months. The appeal to me was the free pickup for local items—I, personally, can’t justify spending hundreds of dollars in shipping with my thrifty budget. And now even most local sales have an absurd fee to pickup from a warehouse. The appeal is completely gone, and I’m very, very saddened by it. I used to check the site daily but now I know there’s nothing for me anymore.

Hi Laura! While local pickup has changed in some places, we’re always working to improve our shipping for our customers. If you’re ever shopping and you see a shipping quote you think is too high, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our customer service team! You can email us at @ebth.com or call us at 888.862.8750. We can’t always change the prices, but we’re always happy to have a look! Happy bidding! 🙂

Ugh I LOVE EBTH! Been addicted for over a year now. I love looking at their lighting. I’ve gotten several really awesome lamps through them. They also have really amazing customer service for the few times I’ve called.

I’ve had mixed experiences with them. A couple of purchases had no issues and I had 2 purchases with issues. The first time they had misplaced an item and couldn’t locate it and were not communicative at all. I would email them and days would go by without a response and I finally had to get the Better Business Bureau involved. The second time is still ongoing. I purchase the item back in February and have yet to receive it. Luckily they refunded me the shipping charges and they’re responsive when I initiate but it would be nice if they were better with following up. I’m in the process of purchasing a house and I don’t want them to send it to the wrong address.

The other thing I’d like to mention is that there are a lot of items that are housed in a warehouse in Cincinnati despite the sale saying it’s a certain city. I live in Cleveland so it’s really obnoxious that some smaller items or furniture items are housed in Cincinnati when it would be more cost-effective for me to simply pick up the item in Cleveland. It’s a bit disingenuous.

I wish they would also improve their availability for pickup whether it’s at their warehouse or another location. Usually it’s during a weekday from 10-6 or something similar and it really prevents me from bidding on other auctions as I do not want to take a vacation day to pick this item up. I’m lucky enough to be within a day’s driving distance to Cinci to pick something up and I’m willing to do it for furniture pieces. Their shipping prices for the smaller items has improved. Their furniture pieces initially seemed rather exorbitant but they seemed to have stabilized a little to something more reasonable.

Overall I like EBTH and it looks like they’re aware of their deficiencies and are improving upon it. However, I feel like their Customer Service does need to be better at following up and not waiting for the customer to initiate or continue feedback.

I too ed their customer service but had such a good experience. They were super prompt and also offered a credit for the trouble. I am a big fan of EBTH and everything they sell. I love sorting through the new sales.

Meh…, sometimes they have really cool items for sale and I even bought an item after Emily did a sponsored post with them months ago.

The art was cool – just a student piece, abstract oil painting I liked and I got a decent price on it but I was a little peeved when I got the final bill – the shipping on the painting was a little over $200 when I could have sworn it was only $80 when I “got an estimate”. Their customer service when I inquired about this just kind of brushed it off and said to little too late so it’s steered me from going back to their site. I’ve sold art the same size and had it shipped from the west coast to the east coast via UPS with their professional packaging service included for less than this shipping cost so it seems to be where they might make a chunk of their profit if you assume that a large supplier would get a better discount with UPS vs someone walking in off the street? They don’t have Portland area sales (or anywhere really near me) to possibly take advantage of their pickup price so I just unsubscribed from them, not for me.

I’d rather just check out other sites who have their customer service and shipping sorted out.

AH. This is literally my nightmare! I am pretty sure with shipping everything would still be a major bargain for your clientele’s price range. This used to be this exciting local (for me) way of finding pieces on a budget. Now I just envision me bidding on the perfect Persian rug and you are on the other end laughing at you put in your “high bid” amount that far surpasses my sad sad budget ;). Having read your Craiglist posts I always knew you would love this site.

I say this all tongue in cheek… but my husband literally came to check on why I let out a devastated cry when I pulled up this article checking out your blog for the day. They are obviously expanding their reach but this is still a bit sad that the secret is now really out. Back to craigslist…

Wow really amazing products!! I am Custom home designer and builder serving Arkansas, I will defiantly recommend your website to my customers. I am very hopeful that they will like your products. Thanks

I have always loved collectibles…….but never really knew what to do with them
Following your website and blogs has given purpose to my collections
Also never knew vintage could be so beautiful
Thanks Emily for continuing to inspire

I love your round up! and I love the idea of EBTH. I have just had major shipping issues 3 times now and still waiting to see how the third one shakes out. Honestly, I have quit bidding. Some of your picks are pretty tempting though!

Hello!

Emily is a stylist, author and T.V. host with a strong commitment to vintage inspired approachable home style for every single person. Perfection is boring; Let’s get weird. learn more

Interior Design Blog by Youxi988

I started this interior design blog in 2010 as a journal of my style and home projects with the belief that design should be approachable, informational and accessible no matter what budget.

As a home style expert who has a strong commitment to peeling back the intimidating layers of the world of home decor, and showing how every person can have a beautiful home that represents their personality, no matter what the budget.

After styling for magazines and catalogues for years, I started my own interior design blog, won HGTV Design Star, and have gone on to host my own hit TV show Secrets from a Stylist, Author the book STYLED, and create the design firm Youxi988 Design.

My motto has always been to write and publish on my blog what I personally want to read about.